Our view: Get on board for a cleaner, greener future

Murfreesboro is growing greener. Just look at the bright-colored buses making their way through city streets alongside cyclists commuting to work.

Between bike lanes and public transportation, the residents here have fewer reasons to get in their cars.

Indeed, more of us are taking the bus to work or shopping. At the beginning of the year, a west-side loop was added to service the Cason Lane area. New buses and improvements to the fleet were unveiled just last week.

Now, statistics show the Rover buses have logged 259,324 riders from July 2012 through May 2013. That's a 119 percent increase from 2008's 118,659 riders, according to the Murfreesboro transportation department.

The Rover is just a step in the direction of furthering a larger mass transit system in Middle Tennessee that would connect a 10-county area of commuters, reducing interstate traffic, pollution and safety concerns. Unfortunately, that goal may be a long time coming due to complexities and costs.

But the city is also in the busy updating its bike lanes to allow for safer, cleaner personal transportation.

Currently, the city has about 22 roadway miles of bike lanes, according to Murfreesboro Transportation Direct Dana Richardson. In addition, Murfreesboro has four miles of share-the-road facilities.

A master plan approved in April would add 20.2 miles of bike lanes to roadways and 50 miles of bike routes.

City officials are "absolutely" making a conscious effort to cater to its cycling residents, Richardson recently told The Daily News Journal.

"That is inherent in the numbers and projects; it's embodied in all the newly adopted bikes plans," Richardson said.

However, Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bicycles owner Mark Dement said the city does better supporting recreational cyclists, with areas such as the Greenway, rather than commuting cyclists. He is looking forward to implementation of the bikeways plan that would bring some improvement to cycling safety.

The city also plans to support the cyclists by providing amenities such as bike racks and increasing safety awareness for cyclists in the community as the new lanes and routes are implemented.

The goals are large, encouraging commuters to give up their automobiles in lieu of a bus or bike may be a hard sale at first. But at the rate Rover ridership is increasing, we don't think it will take long to get much of the community on board for a cleaner, greener future.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Our view: Get on board for a cleaner, greener future

Murfreesboro is growing greener. Just look at the bright-colored buses making their way through city streets alongside cyclists commuting to work.